Yuki Katsuragi — Bohemian （ボヘミアン）

One of those hits that just makes me think of day-glo headbands and hair metal again. Well, I wouldn’t say “Bohemian”is quite in that range of music, but the opening screeching guitar for some reason reminds me of Quiet Riot or Big Country (sounds a bit like bagpipes, don’t they?). And then there is that rasping bellow from Yuki Katsuragi（葛城ユキ） herself when she screams out “BOHEMIAN!!!”She stood out in a sea filled with cute aidoru.

The surprising thing I found out about her 6th single was that it had been written by Ryo Aska（飛鳥涼）of Chage & Aska fame and composed by Daisuke Inoue（井上大輔）. But remembering how the song sounded, I can imagine the lyricist tackling this one as well. Released in January 1983,“Bohemian”peaked at No. 3 on Oricon, and became the 21st-ranking song of the year.

In another cross-Pacific comparison, her voice sounds somewhat familiar to that of Bonnie Tyler (of “Total Eclipse of the Heart”fame). Strangely enough, Katsuragi did cover a couple of her songs: “Sitting on the Edge of the Ocean” and “Holding Out for a Hero”.